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Legislation that would expand, upgrade and expedite the hydrographic surveys needed for accurate nautical charts was approved by the U.S. House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Oceans.

            The legislation (H.R. 3352) is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee.

Hydrographic surveys support a variety of maritime functions including safe navigation, port and harbor maintenance (dredging), coastal engineering (beach erosion and replenishment), coastal zone management, and offshore resource development.

“Hydrographic surveys are critical in the development of accurate nautical charts,” Young said.  “The maritime industry, commercial fishermen and recreational boaters are dependent upon accurate charts to safely navigate U.S. waters.

            “This legislation is very important to coastal communities – more so for the State of Alaska than any other state.

“Alaska has a total of 324,478 square nautical miles of surrounding waterways.  However, only 12,716 square nautical miles of Alaska’s waterways have completed surveys, using post-1993 technologies, to support full bottom coverage nautical charts.  Much of the rest of the Alaska’s waterways have surveys which were completed prior to 1970 with outdated technologies.  Alaska is not alone many other areas of the country are in the same predicament.

“Much work needs to be done in Alaska and across the nation to update nautical charts to reduce the backlog in hydrographic surveys.  NOAA has made some headway in updating many areas through the use of its vessels and through the use of contractors.  I strongly support the use of contractors and urge NOAA to expand their use in order to further reduce the backlog in hydrographic surveys,” Young said.

Background Information

H.R. 3352 was introduced by Young on August 2, 2007.  The bill would reauthorize the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998.

Hydrographic surveys support a variety of maritime functions including safe navigation, port and harbor maintenance (dredging), coastal engineering (beach erosion and replenishment), coastal zone management, and offshore resource development.  Data collected through surveys show water depth (bathymetry) and object detection.  These surveys can also provide information on sea-floor texture and composition (sand, mud, rocks) to assist in anchoring, dredging, marine construction, pipeline and cable routing, tsunamis, and storm surge modeling.

 

Hydrographic surveys can also support other NOAA missions including fish habitat characterization, bottom type classification, and submerged cultural resources management.

            Congress enacted the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998 (P.L.105-384) to address NOAA’s decreasing in-house hydrographic survey capacity.  The Act established the framework for NOAA to implement new state of the art technologies to modernize the United States hydrographic services program.  The law encouraged NOAA to use outside contractors for certain hydrographic services.  Coupled with increased appropriations, the changes made by the 1998 Act reduced the nautical charting backlog for areas critical to navigation (about one percent of the Exclusive Economic Zone), and modernized NOAA hydrographic, geodetic, and tide and current measurement programs.

            The Act was reauthorized in 2002 (P.L.107-372).  The 2002 amendments set a deadline for NOAA to establish a quality assurance program for privately produced hydrographic products.  It established a Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) to provide NOAA with advice and recommendations on NOAA’s Navigation Services mission, program, products and services.  In addition, it required a plan for increasing private sector contracting for photogrammeteric and remote sensing services.

            H.R. 3352 would modify the definitions of ‘hydrographic data’ and ‘hydrographic services’ in the 1998 Act.  The bill would clarify that the Administrator is authorized to collect hydrographic data and provide hydrographic services.  The Administrator would also be authorized to create and support a Joint Hydrographic Institute and voting members of the Hydrographic Services Panel would be authorized to be reimbursed for travel incurred during the performance of panel duties.

            The new bill would also authorize for five years separate appropriations for each of the following functions within NOAA:

-         Nautical mapping and charting functions;

-         Hydrographic surveys;

-         The operation of hydrographic survey vessels;

-         Geodetic functions;

-         And tide and current measurements for a total of $878.7 million.

            The bill would also authorize appropriations of $75 million for NOAA to acquire a hydrographic survey vessel.

For more information, access the Committee on Natural Resources’ Minority website at:

http://republicans.resourcescommittee.house.gov/default.aspx

 

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